Reclining chair structure



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RECLINING CHAIR STRUCTURE Filed March 29, 1968 INVENTORS Aura 0. CIMDEMIPIR DHAIILL F. C'filDfMtVER United States Patent 3,494,660 RECLINING CHAIR STRUCTURE Lloyd 0. Caldemeyer, 3815 E. Mulberry St. 47713, and Daniel F. Caldemeyer, 4300 Jennings Lane 47712, both of Evansville, Ind.

Filed Mar. 29, 1968, Ser. No. 717,105 Int. Cl. A47c 1/02 US. Cl. 297-68 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A reclining chair characterized by front corner sections mounted on and movable with the leg rest structure, providing improved chair styling and tailoring, more effective reclining action and manufacturing economies.

As is known, chairs of the type which are reclinable only and which combine both rocking and reclining features, such as those respectively described and claimed in the Caldemeyer et al. United States Patent 3,083,996, granted Apr. 2, 1963, and entitled Reclining Chair, and in the Caldemeyer et al. United States Patent No. 3,371,- 958, granted Mar. 5, 1968, and entitled Combination Reclining and Rocking Chair, are quite popular.

As an added feature to the use, styling and manufacturing of such type of chair, the invention separates the vertically extending front corner sections of the chair from the chair arms and mounts each on the movable leg rest structure. Importantly, such arrangement simplifies the upholstering of the front of the chair, particularly in the type of chair having an angling or downwardly curving portion from each of the arms to the plane of the seat cushion.

Additionally, to provide further enjoyment and comfort to the user of the chair, the added weight on the leg rest structure affords even more stability and ease during movement of the chair into its various reclining positions. Moreover, the invention lends itself to various advanced styling changes, as, the use of a T-front design, resulting in even more customer acceptance. The use of a T-front design has been limited heretofore in chairs of this general type.

A better understanding of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view, partly fragmentary, showing the invention embodied in a typical reclining chair;

FIG. 2 is a view in side elevation, also partly fragmentary, of the chair of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view in side elevation, showing further details of the invention when the chair is in an extended or reclined position;

FIG. 4 illustrates the chair of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 in perspective, and in a reclined position; and,

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing an alternative chair embodiment.

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawing and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated devices, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 to 4, inclusive, and as mentioned hereabove, the invention is described in connection with an upholstered chair having reclining structure, be-

3,494,660 Patented Feb. 10, 1970 ing of the type generally identified in the stated patents. For this reason, it is not deemed necessary to describe the mechanics of the chair structure in detail, other than to state that the chair has either legs 12, when a reclining chair only, or a fixed or stationary frame portion and a movable frame portion mounted directly thereon (not shown), when a combination reclining and rocking chair. The chair frame includes side arm portions 15 and 17, a seat portion 19 and a back portion 21. Additionally, for reasons of clarity, a showing of upholstery is mostly omitted, but it should be understood that such may assume any desired ornamentation.

A leg rest structure 22 is disposed in front of the seat portion 19, being defined by two movable leg supporting members 22a and 221). In this latter connection, the leg supporting member 22a of the movable leg rest structure 22 is in a revealed position when the chair is non-extended. On the other hand, the member 22b of the foot rest structure 22 is in a concealed position when the chair is non-extended.

In any event, and by way of explanation, by the shifting of weight, the occupant of the chair can effect its movement into various reclined positions, where FIG. 1 shows an unreclined or non-extended position and FIG. 4 shows a reclined or extended position. The structure for effecting movement of the leg rest structure 22 is described in the aforesaid Caldemeyer et al. United States Patent No. 3,371,958, and no further explanation is believed necessary herein, excepting, with reference to FIG. 3, certain of the pivotal frame members 22c, 22d and 22s are shown to illustrate a portion of the supporting arrangement.

The front corner sections 25 and 27, which formerly defined the fronts of the arm portions 15 and 17, respectively, and were integral therewith, are, in accordance with the invention, separate members, and independently movable with respect to the arm portions 15 and 17. As is apparent from the drawing, the front corner sections 25 and 27 may each typically have a top surface in substantially the same plane as the top surface of the seat portion 19. Moreover, and by Way of illustration, the front corner sections 25 and 27 may each be rounded or curved, but, of course, any other plan or elevation configuration would be adaptable to the invention, including narrowing the lateral dimension.

With the front corner sections 25 and 27 each respectively separate from the arm portions 15 and 17, the front surface 15a and 17a of each arm portion is generally vertical with respect to the chair supporting surface, and flat, permitting ease in applying upholstery during the maunfacturing operation. The latter is an important advantage of the invention, in that any awkward upholstering of curved or otherwise shaped surfaces is omitted.

In a typical form of the invention, each of the front corner sections 25 and 27 has a notched portion in which the leg supporting member 22a of the leg rest structure 22 is secured. In other words, the front corner sections 25 and 27 and the leg supporting member 22a form an assembled unit, where the front corner sections 25 and 27 are then movable with the leg rest structure 22. As is evident from the drawing, when the chair is in a nonextended position, the leg supporting member 22b is disposed beneath the seat portion 19, While the top surface of each of the front corner sections 25 and 27 are aligned with the top surface of the seat portion 19.

The invention provides another important feature to the chair by the fact that the added weight, by reason of the front corner sections 25 and 27, to the leg rest structure 22, affords more stability and improved ease in operation to a desired extended or reclined position. In this latter connection, and as stated, it will be noted that the leg supporting member 22b of the foot rest structure 22 becomes revealed as the chair is put into a reclined position (see FIGS. 3 and 4).

Where a two-part leg rest structure is not utilized, a chair embodiment of the type as shown in FIG. 5 is achieved, the leg supporting member being broken for for space reasons. In this connection, the same or a similar type of mounting arrangement can be employed, as in the invention embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4, inclusive. The operation, as well as the desired styling and manufacturing effects, are equally achieved.

From the preceding, it should be understood that the invention provides even more advantages to the popular reclining or combination reclining and rocking types of chair. As mentioned, the invention permits ready and more effective use, because of the added weight on the leg rest structure, and, additionally, manufacturing is expedited, as well as the improving of styling and tailoring by elimination of gaps, seams, skirt alignment and wear problems. Moreover, the invention serves to provide concealment of the mechanism of the leg rest structure, almost eliminating the viewing of any steel, and further affords a safety feature against injury from scissor action.

We claim:

1. In a chair having arm portions, a movable seat and back portion, and a leg rest structure movable from a non-extented to an extended position, and arrangement comprising front corner sections of said chair extending downwardly from substantially the top surface of said seat portion, separated from said arm portions and mounted on an movable with said leg rest structure.

2. The chair of claim 1 where said leg rest structure has at least one leg supporting member and where said front corner sections are mounted onto said at least one leg supporting member.

3. The chair of claim 1 where the front surface of each arm section is fiat and the rear surfaces of the separate front corner sections are flat.

4. The chair of claim 1 where said top surface of said seat portion and the top surfaces of said front corner sections combine to simulate a T-cushion configuration.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS 629,617 10/ 1961 Canada.

JAMES T. MCCALL, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 297-75 

